25 Days of Storybrooke
by FurySaidtoaMouse
Summary: Christmas one-shots
1. Chapter 1

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"strongSo I've decided to do a series of AUs leading up to Christmas. Each one will focus on a different couple/set of characters, but if you like a particular chapter, let me know and I'll try to incorporate that pairing again (Because I totally don't have enough different pairings for this at the moment). I'm going to put the prompt/pairing at the beginning of each chapter so you can skip some if you want./strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"strongPrompt: I'm really tall but I work as one of Santa's elves in the mall and a kid asked me if I was a giraffe and you heard and now you're cracking up/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"strongCouple: Liam Jones/Elsa/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"Normally Liam Jones liked his job. Not so much in December./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"He worked in the local mall, which was a nice, normal job eleven months of the year. But in the month of December, it turned into hell. The crowds and irritated customers was only made worse by the fact that he had to take shifts as one of Santa's elves./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"Liam stood in his elf costume next to Santa's chair. He tried to look jolly, even though he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. He handed out candy canes to the kids when they were done talking to Santa. After a few hours, one of the guards announced that Santa and his elves would be taking a break. Liam sighed in relief; he was really hungry. "Time for the food court." he thought to himself./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"Liam was waiting in line for his burger, still in the elf costume. He felt something slamming into his leg. When he looked down, there was a small boy. He looked up. "Sorry mister." He said./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""It's alright lad." Liam noticed that the boy was still staring at him. "Is there anything else?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Mister, are you a giraffe?" The boy asked. Liam stood there speechless. Behind him, he heard uncontrolled giggling. He turned around to see a young woman in blue laughing as she watched the exchange./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""What makes you say that?" Liam turned back to the little boy./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"The boy shrugged. "You're really tall. And you're wearing yellow. Are you a giraffe?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"Liam could finally form a complete sentence. "No, I'm not a giraffe. I'm an elf."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""You're not an elf. Elves are short!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Well I ate all my vegetables as a child." Liam deadpanned. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the woman was still laughing. A man came up and took the little boy's hand./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Sorry sir, I hope he didn't bother you too much." The man apologized./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""No problem. Have a good holiday."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Merry Christmas Mister!" The boy walked away. Liam shook his head. Kids could be so weird sometimes. Meanwhile the woman in blue was still cracking up. Even Liam had to chuckle./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Something funny, miss?" Liam raised an eyebrow. The woman looked up and caught her breath./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""I'm sorry. That was just really funny." She blushed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Don't apologize." He smiled, extending a hand. "I'm Liam."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Elsa" She shook his hand. "So do you always dress like this?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""You don't think it's a good look?" Liam teased. Elsa blushed some more. "I'm one of Santa's helpers at the mall here. It's my break."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake?" A shout came from the food counter. Both Liam and Elsa started walking forward./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""That's my order." Liam said./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""No, it's mine." Another tray was brought to the counter with the exact same food on it. "Ok, maybe not."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Here," Liam handed her one of the trays before taking his own./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Thank you." She smiled shyly. They stood there looking at each other for a moment./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"Liam cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I should let you get back to your shopping. I'll see you-" He started walking away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;""Hey Liam?" Elsa stopped him. "Would you like to have lunch with me?" She asked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11px;"Liam grinned. "I'd love to."/p 


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt: I love rollerblading so I figured that I'd try ice skating and it's really easy but you suck at it and ended up crashing into me and I got a concussion.**

 **Couple: Anna/Kristoff**

Kristoff laced up his skates. It was his first time ice skating, but he wasn't worried. He was always rollerblading when it was nice out, and winter was his favorite season. Ice skating seemed like something he'd take to easily. He stood up in the skates and walked to the frozen lake. After a few glides, he had the hang of it. It was easier than he though it would be.

A loud thump from the other side of the lake proved that not everyone was finding it so easy. Kristoff chuckled to himself.

Kristoff was on his third or fourth lap around the lake when- CRASH!- he was knocked face-first onto the ice. He felt someone falling next to him, but he was too dizzy to look up. The other person groaned. "Ow, my head. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to knock you over. Are you alright? Well I know you're not alright you just fell and whoa, that's a huge bump on your head maybe we should get some ice? Well I guess not because you're already on ice but-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Kristoff finally sat up; he was desperate to get the girl to stop rambling.

"Whew, what a relief. Here let me help." The girl extended a hand. Kristoff took it. He stood up, rubbing the bump on his head. She looked at him with concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You look a little green."

"I think you've done enough, thanks." Kristoff walked over to the bench by the side of the lake. He was suddenly feeling very nauseous.

* * *

Anna watched the boy she'd just knocked over. He didn't look so good. She knew he didn't want to talk to her, but she wanted to make sure he was ok. She tried to make her way over to where the boy was sitting. He was staring at the ground.

The boy looked up and glared at her. "What?"

"Are-are you sure you're okay?" Anna asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." He tried to stand up again, and failed. "No" he admitted.

"We should get you to the doctor or something. There's one nearby, I'll take you!" Anna helped him up. They tried to walk, but wound up tripping in their skates. Anna got up and brushed the snow off her face. "Sorry about that, maybe we should put on normal shoes, but it's kind of funny, you know? After-" A look from the boy shut her up. "Right." They quietly changed into their shoes, then stood up again. "Ok, doctor." The two walked back to the parking lot. "I'm Anna, by the way."

"Kristoff." The boy answered.

* * *

"Okay, Kristoff. You have a mild concussion. You should be fine soon, but if your symptoms get worse, come back tomorrow." The nurse read off her clipboard. "For now, take it easy. Have a good one."

"Thank you." Anna said. She'd waited with Kristoff to hear the results. The nurse nodded and walked away. "Well that's a relief. Do you need help getting home?" She asked.

"No, I'll be fine, thanks." Kristoff responded.

"And I'm really sorry, again."

"It's alright. You didn't mean it." Kristoff wanted to stop any more babbling. He was actually kind of surprised that she'd stuck around to see if he was ok. It was really sweet. Anna gave him a small smile, which he returned. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Okay, bye!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt: Every year the library sells trees to raise money and I work at the library and you just asked me out but I won't say yes unless you buy a tree**

 **Pairing: Scarlet Beauty**

"How are you not freezing?" Belle turned to her friend, Ruby. It was December, but she was in a light jacket and short skirt, when everyone else was wrapped up in coats and scarves.

Ruby shrugged. "Call it a gift. How's the sale going?"

"Not bad so far. We've managed to sell a few trees, but we've got a lot more to sell this weekend." As head librarian, Belle was in charge of their annual fundraiser: a Christmas tree sale. "Now, did you come to buy a tree, or are you just here to make me worry about your clothing choices?" Belle teased.

"I can do both." Ruby smirked. "And I need two trees. One for home, one for the diner. Granny put me in charge of decorations this year."

"Great. Go take your pick. I need to get back to work." Belle walked over to where a man was handling the money. "How's it going Archie?"

"We've just sold three more trees. That'll be twelve today." Archie smiled. Someone walked into the lot. "We have another customer."

"I'll take this one." Belle walked over to the man, who was texting. "Good afternoon. Is there anything I can help you with?" The man looked up, blinking when he saw Belle's face. "Oh hi Will!" She recognized him; Will Scarlet came to the library a couple times a week. "Are you here to buy a tree?"

"Um, yeah." He seemed nervous, which was weird. She talked to him all the time, and he seemed fine.

"Great! Any particular size?" Belle smiled.

"Uh- a small one. Not a lot of room in my apartment." Will answered.

"Ok, we've got some little ones in the back. Follow me" She led him to an area filled with smaller trees. They wandered around the rows of trees.

"Um, Belle?" Will broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to get coffee with me?"

Belle stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at him. "You're asking me out?"

"Yeah." Will's hands were in his pockets. "So..."

Belle thought for a minute. "Are you going to buy a tree?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm not saying yes unless you buy a tree." Belle folded her arms.

"This is extortion!" Will protested.

"Don't be so dramatic." Belle chided. Will gave her a look. "Oh come on, it's for a good cause."

Will considered his options. "All right." He answered. "On one condition."

Belle raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"You help me decorate it." Will told her. "What say you?"

She grinned. "It's a date." She heard Archie calling her from the front of the lot. "Sounds like I'm being summoned. Does six o'clock at Granny's work for you?"

"Sounds good." With a final smile, Belle left. Once she was out of sight, Will broke into a huge grin. He'd been working up the courage to ask her out for weeks. She said yes! Now, he had to get the tree to his apartment.

* * *

Will carried the small tree to the front of the lot. He stopped in front of Archie's table. "I'm taking this one. How much is it?"

"Are you Will?" Archie asked. Will nodded. "It's on the house. Librarian's orders."

"Come on mate, let me give you something for it." Will reached for his wallet. Archie put his hand up.

"Sorry, you'll have to take it up with Ms. French." Archie reached for something on the table. "She asked me to give you this." He handed a piece of paper to Will.

Will started to read. Under a phone number was "See you tonight! -Belle" Will shook his head with a smile. One thing was for sure: he was really looking forward to six o'clock.


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: We're two grown people fighting over the last box of cherry flavored candy canes in CVS**

 **Pairing: Outlaw Queen**

Regina was in no mood to be at CVS. It had been a long day, and she was really looking forward to getting home. But she promised Henry that she'd get candy canes on her way home from work.

The Christmas music playing through the speaker was irritating, to say the least. She walked down the aisle to where all the holiday things were kept. There was one box of candy canes left. As she grabbed the box, she felt another hand. She looked up to see a man holding the same box as her. They made eye contact.

"I'm sorry, I believe these are mine." The man said coolly. He started to pull the box away from Regina. She tugged it back.

"No, they're mine. I grabbed them first."

"Says who?"

"What kind of a response is that?" Regina said in disbelief.

"Look, I don't want to start any trouble. Just give me the box and we'll call it a day."

"Absolutely not! I promised my son that I'd bring him these."

"And I promised my son the same thing."

"Well, I was here first, so-"

"Is there a problem here?" A voice from behind them said. The store manager stood there with arms crossed. "Other customers have complained about the shouting."

Regina protested, "We're not-" Then she realized that she was indeed shouting.

"We're sorry, John." Regina looked at him, curious. "What? I know the manager."

"Ok Robin. Just keep it down, okay?"

An idea came to him. "Hey John, are there any more boxes of these in the back?"

"I'll check." The manager walked away.

Robin let go of the box. "Take it, I'll take whatever John finds."

"Thank you." Regina said quietly. "Have a good night." She went to check out and left the store, incredibly embarrassed.

* * *

Regina saw the man in CVS again a week later. She literally bumped into him. When they looked at each other, a small smirk came across his face.

"Ah, we meet again." He nodded.

"It appears so."

"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name, miss..."

"Regina. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Robin." The man smiled. A little boy came running up to him. "And this," He lifted the child up, "is Roland. Roland, can you say 'hello'?"

"Hi!" The boy waved. Regina smiled in spite of herself.

"Hello there."

"Are you the lady Daddy met here before?" Roland asked.

Regina raised an eyebrow at Robin. "You were talking about me?"

Robin held a hand up in defense. "John mentioned the incident last time we were here. I said nothing."

"Sure." Regina chuckled. Her phone vibrated. She looked down. "I have to pick up my son. I'll see you around."

"Of course. It was nice seeing you again, Regina." Robin smiled. Roland waved happily again. Regina walked out of the store, a smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: The roads are covered in ice and I decided to try to sled down the hill but I ended up crashing into your neighbor's snowman and you recorded the whole thing and now I'm YouTube famous thanks a lot dick**

 **Characters: Merida/Mulan**

Birch Street was the steepest hill in Storybook. As soon as the cold weather hit, it became an icy minefield. People hated going on that street in the winter unless they absolutely had to. Merida and her friends stood at the top of the hill. "Och, d'ye dare me to slide down the hill?"

"Ummm, no. That's insane." Belle told her.

"Try it." One of the boys said.

"Don't listen to him, he's an idiot." Belle glared at the boy. But it was too late. Merida was already getting her sled ready.

* * *

Mulan was sitting by her front window when she heard cheering outside. She looked up; a group of kids her age were all standing at the top of the street. One of them was getting on a sled. Mulan picked up her phone and set it up to record. This was gonna be good. A shout went up as the kid on the sled started heading down the street. Long red hair flew behind the figure, making Mulan realize exactly who it was.

On the sled, Merida started to lose control. It was a really icy hill, after all. Although she'd started in a straight line, Merida found herself veering toward the houses. Before she could stop it, she crashed headfirst into a snowman.

Mulan stepped outside, laughing. "Nice landing, Dunbroch." Merida scowled at her. "The Locksleys aren't going to be happy about their snowman. They were out here for hours."

"Ah shut up," Merida growled. She stood up and brushed the snow out of her hair. "Like ye coulda done better."

"I would never have done that in the first place. There's being brave and there's being stupid." Mulan looked at Merida and saw she was shivering. She sighed. "Now come inside before you get pneumonia."

Merida started walking to the door. "Thank ye"

* * *

Belle approached Merida in the library later that week. "Have you seen this?" Merida shook her head. Belle held up her phone. It was opened to YouTube. When Belle pressed play, Merida saw herself sliding down Birch Street. She distinct heard Mulan's giggling in the background. "It's gotten a lot of views." Belle commented.

"I can't believe her." Merida muttered. "She's gonna pay for this."


	6. Chapter 6

**Prompt: I'm out shopping and my friends dared me to get in line for the mall Santa, and wow you are really cute and way too young to be Santa**

 **Characters: Snowing**

Mary Margaret was out with her friends Emma and Ruby, Christmas shopping. They'd gotten almost everything they needed, and were just wandering around.

"Do you guys want to get something to eat?" Emma asked.

"Nah, let's wait a while." Mary Margaret answered. They walked past the North Pole display where kids could get a picture with Santa.

Ruby smiled the smile that normally meant trouble. "I have an idea." Emma glanced over, eyebrow raised. Ruby nodded at the North Pole. "Let's get in line."

"No way in hell." Emma deadpanned.

"It'll be fun." Ruby turned to Mary Margaret. "You'll do it, right?"

"I don't know, Rubes. It seems kind of weird to go take a picture with some weird guy in a Santa suit."

"Let's just get in line. For a laugh."

"No." Emma reiterated. "You can't make us."

* * *

Clearly Emma had underestimated the power of Ruby. Within two minutes, she, Mary Margaret, and Ruby were all standing in line to meet Santa Claus.

"I hate you." Emma mumbled.

"Oh please." Ruby teased.

"Mary Margaret, back me up on this." Emma begged.

Mary Margaret nodded. "I have to agree with Emma. Let's get out of line. We can go get food."

"No, you're both staying." Ruby gave them each a stern look.

Emma groaned. "Fine. But you owe me a burger."

"Deal." The line was moving quickly. The girls were up next. When the children before them got off Santa's lap, Ruby led her friends over.

The man in the Santa suit looked at them. "Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!" He said in a fake deep voice. The girls went to stand around him.

"Aren't you a little young to play Santa?" Mary Margaret said. _And way too cute?_ She thought.

"Keep it down! There are kids around." Santa whispered in a normal pitch. Then he winked. Mary Margaret blushed in spite of herself. "Now, what would you like for Christmas?"

"A new car" Ruby suggested.

"To be anywhere else but here." Emma scoffed.

Santa turned to Mary Margaret. "And you?"

"I don't know." She admitted.

"Oh come on, think of anything."

Mary Margaret thought. "A white Christmas" She smiled to herself. Emma and Ruby shared a look. God forbid Mary Margaret ask for anything for herself.

Santa smiled. "I'll see what I can do." He nodded at the photographer. "Smile!" The flashbulb temporarily blinded them.

"Thanks Santa." Emma said. She and Mary Margaret started walking away. "You coming Ruby?"

"Just a minute." She called back. The other two shrugged. They were picking up the picture when Ruby caught up to them.

"What was all that about?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I just got you an early Christmas present." Ruby smirked. "You have a date with that Santa guy on Saturday. His real name's David, by the way."

Mary Margaret buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe you! Did you force that poor man-"

"Force? Moi?" Ruby feigned innocence. "I'd never do that. Here," She handed Mary Margaret a post it. "His number. You can thank me later."

* * *

Mary Margaret hated to admit it, but Ruby had been right. She and David had a great time that weekend. And the one after that, and the one after that. Ruby would joke to Emma that if she'd known David was going to take up all their best friend's time, she'd never have set them up.

Neither of them really minded. It was nice to see their friend that happy all the time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Prompt: i got arrested on christmas eve for accidental theft when i was leaving the store and knocked an item into one of my gift bags by mistake and you are the only person i can think of who might bail me out at 2AM so i'm sorry but please get me out of here**

 **Characters: Charming/Hook (This one is strictly a friendship)**

 **Hey, just a quick note: First off, thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited/reviewed the story. Second, these AUs are not in the same universe unless otherwise specified. Ok, on with the show.**

It was the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. A cell phone woke David Nolan up from what had been a peaceful sleep. He groggily picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Dave?" The voice on the other end of the phone came up.

"Killian?" David sat up in bed. "What do you want?"

"Can you come get me?"

"Jones, it's two in the morning. What's going on?"

"I'm at the sheriff's station." David sat straight up.

"Oh my god, what did you do?"

"It's kind of a funny story. One that I'd be happy to tell you once you come and get me." David could practically see Killian's smirk.

He groaned. "Fine. See you in ten minutes."

* * *

"Evening Graham," David nodded at the man behind the desk. Graham nodded in response. "I'm here for Jones."

Graham stood up. "He's in the cell." The two men walked to the cell where Killian was passed out on a bench.

"Hey, what's he in for, anyway?" David asked.

"Shoplifting." Graham banged on the bars. "Jones! Wake up!"

Killian stirred on the bench. "Wha?"

"You're getting out." Graham unlocked the door.

David leaned on the doorframe. "Come on Jones, you've got some explaining to do."

Killian stood up. "In due time my friend." He slurred.

"Are you drunk?" David raised an eyebrow.

"He's fine. Just tired." Graham answered. A half-asleep Killian leaned on David's shoulder.

"Ok, I'll get him home. Thanks Graham." David smiled. "Merry Christmas!"

"Have a good night." Graham nodded.

David loaded Killian into his truck. "Thanks mate." Killian said.

"Don't thank me yet. What did you do?"

"I was at the mall buying a present, and when I left the store I knocked one of those little things in the display into my bag. When the alarms went off, the lass at the counter wouldn't believe me. She called the cops."

"Seriously?" David raised an eyebrow. "That's the story you're going with?"

"Aye, it's the truth!" Killian protested.

"And I'm the only person you could think to call?"

"I couldn't bloody well call Emma. She'd kill me." David smirked; Killian had a point on that one. He started the truck and pulled out of the station parking lot. The car ride was silent until he pulled up in front of Killian and Emma's house. Killian started climbing out of the car. He turned back to David. "Thanks again mate. I owe you." He nodded. "Happy Christmas"

David waited until Killian was inside the house to drive home. He'd give Killian a hard time for this later. At that moment, he just wanted to get back to bed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Prompt: Oh look at that, we're standing in line the day after Christmas and we're both returning the same crappy gift**

 **Characters: Henry/Violet**

Henry walked into the store with the bag in hand. He loved his family, but sometimes their judgement was way off. This present for example. He got in line for customer service.

When he got closer to the front of the line, he took the present out of the bag. "Nice sweater," a voice behind him said. Henry turned around to see a girl holding the exact same ugly sweater.

"Thanks, you too." Henry smiled. "Here for store credit?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. My dad seemed ok with it. He knows he's bad at picking out gifts." She laughed. "I'm Violet, by the way."

"Henry. Nice to meet you."

"I can take the next customer!" the clerk shouted. Henry walked up. When he was done, Violet went and exchanged her sweater. She caught up with Henry when he was wandering the store.

"Thirty dollars store credit. What are you gonna get?" She asked.

Henry shrugged. "Don't know yet." He looked at the hat display. He picked up one with reindeer antlers sticking out. "Maybe this." He put it on. Violet laughed.

"Well it's better than that sweater, but not by much." She joked. She looked at the racks next to it. "Why are they selling sunglasses? It's December."

"Beats me." The pair walked around the store together, occasionally pointing out funny things.

"I give up." Violet said. "There is nothing worth getting in this store."

"You might be right." Henry conceded. Then something in the corner caught his eye. He walked over to the shelves. "Hey, check these out."

Violet followed. He handed her a leather bound journal, picking one up for himself. "These are pretty nice." Violet commented.

"I'm going to get one." Henry told her.

Violet smiled. "I'll get one too." Henry returned her smile. They walked to checkout together and used their credit.

The two walked out of the store together. A car was pulled up outside. "That's my dad." Violet said. "I'll see you around?"

Henry nodded. "See you. Bye"


	9. Chapter 9

**Prompt: "i got you for secret santa so i got you this really expensive but sentimental gift that you've always wanted, hoping you'll never find out it's from me - and that i've been in love with you 1234567 years"**

 **Characters: Merida/Macintosh**

 **AN: Hey guys. Sorry about not posting this weekend. I was on a trip, and I didn't have wifi. I'll post a little more this week to make up for it.**

He'd never forget the first day he saw her. She was losing a fight with the copy machine. Her curly red hair was flying around her as she tried to work the machine. She was muttering and he distinctly heard a familiar accent.

"Are ye from Scotland, lass?"

She turned around at the sound of his voice. "Aye. Don' suppose yer from there too."

"What gave it away?" He joked. She smiled. "I'm Cameron Macintosh."

"Merida. Nice to meet ye."

"Ye're new around here?"

"Aye. Just transferred." The copy machine made another noise. Merida groaned.

"Trouble with the copier?"

"I'd like tae take a hammer to it." She muttered.

"It's nae worth botherin'. Tha' thing hasn't worked in years."

* * *

A few weeks later, Macintosh invited Merida to a bar where he met his friends on Fridays. "You'll like them. They're all from UK tae."

Sure enough, Merida made fast friends with Mac and his entire group. From Graham, the kind police officer, to Belle the local librarian ("She used tae be married tae a Scotsman, so she's honorary," Mac had explained to Merida.). They welcomed her with open arms. It made her less homesick.

In a few short years, Merida became part of Macintosh's daily life. And every day, he fell for her a little more.

* * *

Merida came to sit with them during lunch. She glanced at Mac's lunch. "Ye have a chocolate bar. Share it!"

"D'ye see the label? Yorkie bar. It's nae for wee lasses like yourself." He teased, knowing she'd take it anyway.

Merida unwrapped the candy and took a bite out of it. It was a rare treat to get candy from home. "Where'd ye find this anyway?"

"A store down the road. I can take ye there before we go to Robin's if ye'd like."

"Aye, that'd be grand."

Later that night, with candy in hand, they knocked on Robin's door. Graham opened it and ushered them in. The group was all sitting in the living room with drinks. Robin clapped his hands. "Well, now that everyone' here, let's draw names for Secret Santa."

"The party's not for another month." Will Scarlet protested.

"Aye, but some of us like to do our shopping more than one day before the party." Killian replied from the other side of the room.

"Anyway, you all know how this works by now. Write your names down, put them in the bag, then we'll pick."

The group did as they were told. Once all the names were in, they passed around again to pick. Merida glanced at her paper and nodded. "Who'd ye get, Mac?" She asked Macintosh.

He raised an eyebrow. "It's supposed tae be a secret, Merida."

She frowned. "Och, come on"

"I'm nae telling ye."

"Fine." Merida went to talk to Belle. Macintosh was still staring at the paper. Merida's name was written in her own messy handwriting. He exhaled. This was going to be a hard gift to get.

* * *

The group held their Secret Santa gift exchange the week before Christmas. The presents were piled underneath the tree at Graham's house. After a nice dinner, they all gathered in the living room to open presents. Killian handed them out.

Killian went first. He got a book on sailing. "Thank you Belle"

Belle scoffed. "How did you know?"

"It was a book. Anyone would've known, love." He got up and gave her a hug. "Alright, who's next?"

"I'll go." Graham volunteered. He opened his gift to find a small wolf statue. "It's beautiful. Thank you to whoever this is from."

"Merida, you go next." Robin said.

Merida looked at the box on her lap. It was small, so she figured it was a gift card or something. She unwrapped it, and almost dropped it. "A plane ticket for Scotland? I canno accept this. It's too much!" Merida looked around, trying to figure out who her Secret Santa had been.

Killian looked at Macintosh and immediately understood. "Love, I think that whoever gave you that really wants you to have it. You haven't gone home since you came here."

"We all know how much you miss your family. Go on a holiday. See your brothers." Graham encouraged her. The rest of the group said similar affirmations. Eventually they moved on to the rest of the presents. Macintosh would look at Merida occasionally; she kept glancing down at the plane ticket with a smile.

* * *

"It was you, wasnae it?" Macintosh turned around to see Merida with folded arms. He looked at her, shocked. "Oh come on, Mac. Jus tell me."

"What makes ye think that?"

"Pretty much everyone else has said no."

He looked resigned. "Aye. That was me."

"Why? Ye donna have the money for this."

He shrugged. "Ye havnae seen yer family in years. Ye were telling me just the other day how much ye miss them. An' ye've got the time off from work."

Merida flung her arms around Macintosh. He slowly returned the hug. "Thank ye."

He smiled. "Anytime." She stepped back a little; Mac could see there were tears in her eyes. He shot her a grin. "Come on, let's get back to the party." He put an arm around her shoulder and led her back to the rest of the group. Surprisingly enough, she didn't pull away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Prompt: We're at a Christmas party and our friends got drunk and started going on about how cute we would be together**

 **Characters: Belle/Merlin**

Belle was leaning against the wall, bored. She wasn't particularly fond of parties like this. They were full of loud, drunk people. Belle would much rather be at home reading _A Christmas Carol_ than at the Christmas party her friends had dragged her to.

"You seem to be having fun." A man said, approaching her.

She gave him a half smile. "This isn't really my idea of fun."

"I completely agree. My friends made me go. They think I'm too wrapped up in work."

"What do you do?" Belle asked.

"I'm finishing up grad school. How about you?"

"I'm a librarian." She answered.

The man smiled. "My name's Merlin."

Belle raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He nodded. "Ok. I'm Belle. It's nice to meet you."

"Would you like to get a drink?"

"No thank you, I'm the designated driver tonight." Belle explained. "My friends made me come here too."

Merlin smiled. "Birds of a feather, huh? So what do you normally do for fun?"

"I read, mostly. And spend time with my friends in, em, quieter locations." Belle made a face as someone walked by screaming. Merlin winced. "How about you?"

"Much of the same. Lately I haven't had a lot of free time though. Term papers and all." Belle chuckled. The two walked over two an available couch. They started talking about their favorite books. They didn't realize how much time had passed until Merlin's phone went off.

Belle started laughing. His ringtone was an instrumental from _Harry Potter._ Merlin rolled his eyes. "Hello? Yes, I'm still here. On the couch. No, upstairs. You guys can meet me here when you're ready to go."

"Belllle!" A voice screeched. Belle looked up at her friends, who had clearly drank a lot. She waved.

"Hi guys." She smiled. "Having fun?"

"Yeahhhh" one of her friends slurred. Belle shook her head. Getting this group home would be a challenge. Meanwhile, two people had come over to talk to Merlin. They looked like they'd also been having fun.

"Do they belong to you?" Merlin gestured to the group of women. Belle nodded.

"Oh my gosh, who's this?" One of Merlin's friends sat down.

"This is Belle. Belle, meet Gwen and Lance. I swear they normally have better manners."

"Nice to meet you."

"Belle? Are you talking to a guy? Guys! Look!" Belle's face turned bright pink as her friends stared at Merlin.

She mouthed "sorry" to him. He mouthed "it's ok" back. All of their friends had now found their way to the couch or the floor directly in front of it.

"You two should date." One of Belle's friends said.

"Anna!" Belle exclaimed.

"What? You guys look so cute together. You're all smiley and stuff."

"Yeah, she's right." Lance piped up. "You guys would be like, an adorable nerd couple." The group gave similar comments.

Merlin stood up. "Alright, I think it's time we called it a night." Lance and Gwen groaned, but stood up. Merlin turned to Belle. "It was lovely meeting you. Perhaps we can see each other in a less- intoxicated- environment?"

Belle grinned. "I'd like that. I work at the library on Main Street."

"I'll stop by. Until then," Merlin started leading his friends to the door.

"Did you see that? Belle has a daaaaateee." Another one of the girls said. A chorus of shrieks and "ooooooooohhhs" rose from the women.

Belle rolled her eyes. "I think it's time you girls got some sleep. Let's go home."


	11. Chapter 11

**Prompt: i haven't seen you since you left for college, and now you're home for the holidays. i am happy to see you, but what has happened to the shy, withdrawn nerd who couldn't look me in the eyes without blushing?**

 **Characters: Red Warrior**

The last time they'd seen each other was at a graduation party. In high school, they hadn't really spoken much. Mulan kept to herself most of the time, while Ruby was always surrounded by people.

* * *

Four years later, Ruby was still in the same town. She'd gone to school locally, and kept working at her grandmother's diner when she wasn't in class. She'd missed her high school friends, but had made new friends at school. Besides, her old friends always came home for Christmas.

It was December 18th when Belle French walked into the diner. "Surprise!" She grinned. Ruby almost tripped in her rush to hug the other girl.

"I didn't think you'd be home yet! How are you?" Ruby ushered her friend over to a stool on the counter. "Tell me everything."

"There's not much to tell. I've only got a few more credits until I get my bachelor's degree. I'm still waiting to hear about my grad school applications."

"You're going for your masters?"

"Yeah, in Literature." Belle grinned. "What's been going on around here?"

"The usual small town stuff. Marco's son is back in town. Leroy got arrested last week."

"DUI?"

Ruby chuckled. "Naturally." She kept cleaning the counter and filling out people's orders as she and Belle caught up. The bell on the door tinkled as Ruby was refilling the coffee pot.

"Mulan?" Belle gasped. Ruby turned around. Her eyes widened. That was _not_ the Mulan she remembered.

High school Mulan had been this tiny kid who always wore baggy t-shirts and never made eye contact with anyone. The woman standing in front of her was in a leather jacket, and had clearly been hitting the gym. Mulan hugged Belle. They had been a lot closer in high school than Ruby and Mulan were.

"It's good to see you, Belle." Mulan smiled. It was dazzling. She turned and saw who was behind the counter. "Ruby? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Hi" Ruby was surprised that she couldn't form an entire sentence.

Belle looked between her two friends. In high school, Ruby had been the confident one and Mulan the one who couldn't make eye contact with another person without blushing. Now it seemed their roles were reversed. She broke the silence. "It's been a while since we hung out. Come have lunch with me!" Belle patted the stool next to hers.

"That'd be great." Mulan sat down, taking off her jacket. Ruby handed them menus (She totally wasn't distracted by Mulan's arms. Not at all). "How's school coming?"

"It's going pretty well. Only one more semester to go. Then on to my masters." Belle shrugged. "How about you?"

"I'm getting a degree in criminal justice. After graduation, I'm hoping to get a job on the police force." Mulan answered.

Belle smiled. "That's so cool. What else have you been up to? Are you still seeing that girl? Aurora, was it?"

Mulan shook her head. "No, we broke up a while back."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Belle patted her friend's shoulder.

"Don't be, it was for the best."

Ruby approached them again. "You two ready to order?"

"Cheeseburger." Belle said quickly. She was hungry.

Mulan was still glancing at the menu. "Can I have a Caesar salad, please?"

Ruby smiled brightly. "Coming right up!" She walked over to the kitchen (and Mulan totally didn't watch her as she left.)

Belle glanced at her friend with a raised eyebrow. "What was that?"

Mulan avoided eye contact. "What was what?"

"You, Ruby, the eyes, the smiling."

"Very specific. I see why you're an English major." Mulan quipped. Belle shot her a look. "I don't know. We haven't seen each other in a while. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

Belle was about to ask another question, but Ruby was there with their orders. Mulan glanced up at her. "So how are you? What have you been doing since graduation?"

Ruby set down the trays. "I'm finishing my degree in business. I still work here, but I help Granny with the books now too. She told me that she plans on giving me the diner when she retires."

"That's awesome." Mulan smiled sincerely.

The rest of the meal passed in a similar fashion. Belle and Mulan talked, with Ruby occasionally chiming in. Belle eventually stood up. "I have to go. My dad's expecting me home. It was great seeing you Mulan. We should get together sometime before you go back to school." Mulan nodded. They hugged, and Belle left.

Ruby came back to clear Belle's plate. Mulan got money out to pay for her meal, but Ruby stopped her. "Don't worry about it."

"Ruby, I have to pay."

"No you don't. I insist."

"Are you sure?" Mulan asked. Ruby nodded. There was a pause. "Um, I guess I should get going, then."

"Ok." Ruby tried to hide her disappointment. Mulan stood to go. Before she left, she turned around

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you want to get, um, drinks or something sometime?" Mulan looked down and started fidgeting. She hadn't completely changed since high school.

"Absolutely. Maybe on Saturday?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." Mulan smiled as she walked away. Ruby grinned. This winter break was starting off on a good note.


	12. Chapter 12

**Prompt: i love you dearly, but if you play 'jingle bells' one more time, i swear to god, i will strangle you.**

 **Characters: Charming family**

Emma loved her son. Truly, she did. But she was starting to rethink that after he'd gotten control of the music.

They were in the sixth hour of jingle bells.

Mary Margaret and David thought it was cute. They had only been there for an hour. Emma groaned as the jingly opening started up again. Mary Margaret chuckled. "I swear I'm going to break that tape." Emma muttered.

"Relax Emma, I'm sure he'll be tired of it in a bit and start bothering you with a new song." Mary Margaret patted Emma's shoulder.

David could tell Emma was getting tense. "Hey, why don't I take Henry out to the park for a little bit? Let you clear your mind before dinner?" Emma nodded, giving him a grateful look. Henry came bounding into the room.

"Hi everyone!" He grinned up at the grownups.

"Hey there little buddy." David lifted Henry up. "Do you want to go on an adventure with me?"

"Yeah!" The little boy nodded his head furiously.

David put him down. "Go put your coat on."

"Thank you so much." Emma said. David just smiled as he led the energetic kid out the door. Not having Henry there left a silence. That is, until "Jingle Bells" started playing again.

Mary Margaret rushed to turn it off. "Let's get dinner started. They'll be hungry when they get back."

* * *

David and Henry came back a few hours later. Henry was holding something behind his back. "What do you have there, young man?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Shhh!" Henry told her. "It's Mommy's present."

"Oh, ok. I won't tell. Go hide it until after dinner." Henry ran to his room. David and Mary Margaret came back to the kitchen.

"How was the park?" Emma asked.

"Fine. You've got a great kid, Em." David told her. He shook the snow from his hair. "Is it ok if I grab some coffee? It's freezing outside."

"Go ahead." Emma said. Mary Margaret kissed David's cheek. Emma rolled her eyes and went back to making dinner.

Dinner was delicious, according to David. Henry had opted for mac n' cheese instead of "grownup food", and was quite happy with it. When the plates were cleared away, they all went to the living room for desert and presents. "Mommy first!" Henry shouted.

Emma put a hand on his shoulder. "No, Uncle David and Aunt Mary Margaret get to go first. They're our guests." Henry nodded. He walked over to the tree, picking up two presents and giving them to David and Mary Margaret. They opened their presents to find two teddy bears, one dressed as a prince and one as a princess.

"Awwww," Mary Margaret cooed as she looked at them. "they're wonderful. Thank you, Henry." She kissed his forehead.

"I love it, Henry. Thanks!" David gave him a hug. Emma passed them her gift to them: some bird salt shakers that she knew Mary Margaret would adore, and a coffee thermos for David.

Henry folded his arms. "Now Mommy's turn?"

"Now it's your turn." Mary Margaret explained.

"I no go 'til Mommy's turn." Henry pouted.

"Emma, can we break the rules for him?" David asked.

"I guess this one time..." She couldn't finish her sentence before Henry cheered and ran to his room. He came back with a small box. He put it on Emma's lap, jumping up and down with excitement. "Well, I guess I'm going to open this one first." Emma chuckled. She opened the box. It had a charm bracelet in it. One of the charms said "World's Best Mom", another one was a heart, and one was a lion (her favorite animal.) Emma felt tears in her eyes.

Henry got nervous. He gave her a hug. "Mommy no cry."

"Thank you so much. I love it." Emma told him as he hugged her.

Henry snuggled closer. "Merry Christmas Mommy."


	13. Chapter 13

**So tonight I'm cheating. This chapter is not one, not two, but three prompts (they all went well together and I thought it'd be fun)**

 **Prompts:** **we live in a house-share together but we're not that close and i'm trying to make christmas cookies for my family party tomorrow but i've burnt approximately three batches so you offer to help and it turns out you're amazing at baking and we end up talking for hours and you have no family to see on christmas and i am finding myself inviting you to spend it with my family despite them not having a clue who the hell you are /I KNITTED YOU A JUMPER/MY MOM KNITTED YOU A JUMPER**

 **Characters: Captain Swan**

The fourth time the smoke alarm went off was where he drew the line. Killian ran down into the kitchen. "Swan? Is everything all right?" She didn't respond; she was too busy cursing to herself. Killian watched as she scraped a tray of what was supposed to be cookies in the trash. "Earth to Swan."

Emma started. "Ah! Oh, hey Killian." She continued cleaning the tray. Emma and Killian were two of the four people living in the house-share, along with their friends Ruby and Graham. While Emma and Killian were on good terms, they weren't really friends. "Sorry about the alarms."

"What are you even doing down here?"

"Trying to bake cookies?" Emma answered. Killian raised an eyebrow. She sighed. "I'm supposed to go to a family thing tomorrow and I told my mom I'd make the cookies because I know she'll be cooking everything else. Turns out I'm really bad at this." She shrugged. "I guess I'll go get those premade ones from the store." She started for the door.

Killian stopped her. "You'll do no such thing. I'll help you."

"You'll help? Jones, be serious."

"I am serious! It just so happens, Swan, that I'm an excellent baker." He smirked, strolling to the countertop where the recipe was. "Well, we'll need new bowls, new spoons, and a new tray. Wash your hands, Swan, we've got a lot to do." Emma rolled her eyes, but she humored him.

After Emma messed up a few more instructions, ("You don't know the difference between baking soda and baking powder? How have you made it to adulthood, Swan?") Killian put Emma on cleanup duty ("It's only until we finish the dough. You can help with the cookie cutters.") She washed things as he measured and mixed. When she was done, she sat up on the countertop next to where he was working. "Now do I get to help?"

"Patience, Swan." He teased. "The dough is almost done. Can you grab the rolling pin?" She got it out of a drawer. "Thank you. Do you have any cookie cutters you wanted to use?"

Emma folded her arms. "Killian, do I look like someone who owns cookie cutters?"

"Point taken. I have some in that drawer over there." He pointed. Emma hopped off the counter and got them. She giggled to herself. Who would've thought Killian had his own set of cookie cutters?

"Here you go. Can I help now?" Killian nodded. They cut out cute holiday cookies together. Once they were in the oven, they started another batch.

About four cookie batches later, Emma asked him, "So how'd you learn to bake so well?"

"My mother. She used to love baking, and I would help her." Killian smiled. Emma was surprised; Killian never talked about his family.

"Are you going to see her for Christmas?"

Killian's face fell. "No. She, ah, passed on when I was little."

Emma rested her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry." He looked up at her and muttered a thank you.

"So, Swan, why did you volunteer to bake cookies if you had no idea what you're doing?"

She shrugged. "My mom hosts Christmas every year. She drives herself crazy making everything perfect. I just wanted to make things easier for her. Turns out I would've made things worse."

"Don't think like that. Your mother's lucky to have a daughter that's so considerate." He added the final ingredients. "So is this a big family party?"

"Yeah. All those aunts and uncles and cousins we never talk to the rest of the year. And my grandparents." Emma told him. "What are you up to for the holidays?"

"Nothing special. I'm just going to hang around here. Perhaps I'll make a fancy dinner and not leave you guys leftovers." He teased, knowing just how much leftovers mattered to his roommates' diets.

Emma looked at him. "You don't have anyone to spend Christmas with?" Killian shook his head. "What about your dad?"

"He left when I was younger. I don't even know if he's alive or not."

Emma would blame impulse on what she said next. "Do you want to come with me?"

"What?" He looked at her in shock.

"To the party. Storybrooke's a quick drive, and the food'll be great."

"Swan, I don't want to impose. Your family doesn't even know who I am."

"Come on, my parents love having company. Most of the time it doesn't even matter who." Killian still looked hesitant. "Please?"

Killian sighed. "I guess if it won't be a big bother..."

"It won't." Emma promised.

* * *

Emma's childhood home was in a small town in Maine, just a few hours' drive from Emma and Killian's house. With arms full of cookies, they went to the door. Killian hung back as Emma hugged her parents and several relatives. Emma's mom noticed him in the corner. She glanced at her daughter. "Emma, who's this? Your boyfriend?"

"No," Emma shook her head. "This is Killian. He's one of my roommates. "

"Sorry honey, I just assumed. I mean the last guy you brought over was Walsh..."

"Walsh?" Killian raised an eyebrow. Emma mouthed "ex boyfriend" to him. He nodded in understanding.

"Well, welcome Killian. I'm Mary Margaret. Can I take those trays from you?" She ushered Killian into the living room.

The rest of the day went by easily. Sure, a few of Emma's relatives didn't believe that she and Killian were just friends, but she could deal with that. They left late that night. When they finally got back to the house, Killian turned to Emma. "I had a great time, Swan. Thanks for bringing me."

"Thanks for coming." Emma smiled, then yawned. "Good night."

* * *

A few days later, Emma gathered them all into the living room. "So it's this tradition in my family that everyone gets a new sweater for Christmas." Emma told them. She pulled out a bag. "I, um, made you guys these." She handed a red one to Ruby, one with a wolf on it to Graham, and a dark blue one with anchors on it to Killian.

"Emma, you made these?" Ruby asked as she put hers on. Emma nodded. "They're amazing. And the perfect size! Thanks" She gave her best friend a hug. Graham said a thank you before he had to leave for work.

Killian stared at her in disbelief. He couldn't believe that Emma cared about him enough to make this. He put it on. Just like Ruby's it was just his size and super comfortable. He chuckled. "Thank you, Swan."

"Anytime." She smiled at him. "I'm much better at knitting than baking." She joked. Killian smiled at her.

"Oh, by the way, there are packages for you guys on the table." Ruby told them. Emma and Killian exchanged a look. They had no idea what it could be.

Emma got there first, handing Killian's box to him. She opened hers. "Oh, it's a sweater from my mom." She held it in front of her. It had a nutcracker being held by a little girl on it. "It's beautiful." Emma smiled. "What'd you get?"

"I don't know. There isn't anyone who would send me things." Killian opened the package. He pulled out a red and green sweater. Inside was a note:

 _It was lovely meeting you! Hope to see you again soon. Happy Holidays!_  
 _-Mary Margaret_

"Your mother made me a jumper." Killian told Emma, disbelief in his voice. Emma gaped.

"Seriously?" Killian handed her the note. "Wow. She didn't even make Walsh a sweater. She must've really liked you."

"I got a jumper and your last boyfriend didn't? I'm honored."

"You know, it was pretty fun having you there."

Killian raised an eyebrow. "Was it?"

Emma smirked. "Yeah"

"Well, perhaps I should accompany you more often."

"Sounds good to me." Emma smiled up at him. "You free for Easter?"


End file.
